My good friend David announced his election backing for presidency today over at his blog- Mitt Romney. I know David has put a lot of thought and effort into coming to this decision. I admire his dedication towards thinking his decision through to the end and really taking seriously all the many aspects of potential candidates. I am still undecided as to who I will be supporting during this upcoming battle for the presidency. Upon returning from my honeymoon I am vowing to give this area more thought and will pick a candidate to support.

This an area that I have been personally convicted over the last few years- I think it is so very important to be politically and socially informed. As Americans, it is our right and should be our privilege and honor to take part in choosing the faces of our nation. I strongly disagree with those who argue that ‘one vote doesn’t make a difference’ or say that ‘ it doesn’t really matter in the end’. A politically informed people is one that benefits from the increased awareness of issues that affect our daily lives. By diving into the nitty-gritty of politics, one is forced to search our their morals, personal convictions, and passions.

My wedding is less than 10 days away- wow, how time flies! I couldn’t imagine waiting six months to marry Celeste back when I proposed in August, and now the big day is almost here. Yes, the last few weeks before the wedding can contain a lot of stress and anxieties, but I can’t help but just be utterly excited about what the future holds! I am so incredibly thankful that I will soon be able to call Celeste my wife- I still cannot believe that she has chosen to spend the rest of her life with me!

The Lord is sustaining us and giving us the strength to face any obstacle that comes our way, and I know that through Him we will prevail! It has especially been interesting in recent days. We found out that our condominium is going to be built four months earlier than was originally anticipated. This news, while exciting, is also a bit cumbersome because it brings with it a whole new list of things that have to be taken care of. It has been interesting balancing wedding planning along with housing contract/selections. Talk about a lot of life changes in one short period of a year! God is good my friends- He is able to sustain you through any and every obstacle that comes your way. It is my prayer that I do not take his blessings in my own life for granted. Thank you to my friends and family for their overwhelming support during this big time of transition in my own life and Celeste’s.

I received an excellent email from my friend Darryl yesterday. He responded to my post about the release of the MacBook Air and offered a different perspective on some of the cons that I had listed in my original post:

“Now about the MacBook Air. Having actually held one in my hand at the Macworld Expo, I can say that the pictures don’t really give you an idea of how thin and how light this thing is. When I picked it up, I thought “this can’t be a real computer. This is a prop.” I understand your concerns with the lack of an optical drive and limited ports, but after watching a demo, I can see a niche for this thing. You’re a young professional, using your Mac Pro for most of the heavy lifting, but then you’ve got to fly to Kansas City to do a presentation. Why lug around an optical drive when you don’t need to? Just slip your MacBook Air into an envelope and off you go. I’m speculating. I’m sure there’s someone out there who needs one. “

Very good perspective on this! I think, in my effort to evaluate this new computer, I overlooked some very practical uses for this. Thanks Darryl for the perspective- much appreciated!

I got back from the midnight showing of Cloverfield a little bit ago and am feeling a little queasy.

Here’s a tip to those going to see the movie: 1) Do not sit in the first five rows of the theater (I sat in the very front and all the way to the right due to packed crowds), 2) Do not watch this movie on an oversized screen (I watched it at the Cine Capri… a screen larger than the standard IMAX screen), 3) Do not watch this movie with food, nor if you are feeling even slightly ill. I’ve never, ever experienced motion sickness before in my life… but I did today. Both my brother and I had an extremely hard time keeping ourselves from becoming nauseated (I can’t believe this!) and he actually had to leave for a little bit during part of the film. I am convinced however, that this is entirely due both to our proximity to and the sheer size of the screen. It was really odd for me to feel as if a movie was going to make me lose my lunch. This is one of those movies that I think would be much better to watch on the small screen. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Now where is my Pepto Bismol…

That being said- I really can’t objectively review this film at this point in time, though I’ll do my best to convey my thoughts thus far. I was pretty distracted by my stomach for most of the movie but did enjoy aspects of it. The monster was pretty well done and the shots of it were placed very well throughout the film. The appearance of the monster did not seem forced or overused; this would be an easy thing to do considering that that really is the payoff the audience is looking for. Acting seemed to be mediocre, but wasn’t bad considering the unique format and roles that the actors had to fulfill. None of the characters were super lovable, though there were some comical moments that were well placed. The plot line was a little rough to follow, but then again you don’t need to know to much for this film… its a group of young adults running from a monster… it honestly doesn’t get much deeper than that. I applaud the writers and directors on this film purely for its uniqueness- its something that hasn’t been done before and has helped people look at movies in a different way.

A group of people who should get even more credit than the writers and directors however, is the marketing team. I have not seen a marketing campaign quite like this in some time. The marketing invoked curiosity by playing off of the potential’s audience’s imagination. In a culture full of ‘give-it-all-away’ previews, Cloverfield was refreshing in that it gave nothing away… in fact, it left you wanting more. This feeling drove millions of people to the web in a desperate search to understand what the movie was all about. The funny part is, by the end of the film, you still have no idea how this monster originally arrived or why the movie is called Cloverfield. This really is a film where less worked out to be much more. I’d be interested to see what this film grosses in it’s opening week- I’m sure that the posted profits will absolutely smash the expenditures made for this film.

My buddy David was able to make his way into a prescreening of the highly-anticipated film, Cloverfield, on Tuesday. The movie is opening tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it. The crazy person in me is telling me to get in line tonight for the midnight showing… the jury is still out on that. Regardless- enjoy this review David has posted at his blog, A Fruitful Life. David was kind enough NOT to include spoilers, so you purists (like myself) out there are safe. Thanks David!